William & Mary vs. Wisconsin

Deciding between William & Mary and University of Wisconsin Madison? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

William & Mary
University of Wisconsin Madison

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
  • Wisconsin Madison, WI
  • Setting
  • William & Mary Large Suburban
  • Wisconsin Midsize City
  • Total enrollment
  • William & Mary 9,818
  • Wisconsin 51,044
  • Type
  • William & Mary Public 4 Year
  • Wisconsin Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • William & Mary #63
  • Wisconsin #109
  • Religious Affiliation
  • William & Mary -
  • Wisconsin -
  • Status
  • William & Mary Non-profit
  • Wisconsin Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • William & Mary
  • Wisconsin

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • William & Mary $25,914
  • Wisconsin $11,603
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • William & Mary $51,038
  • Wisconsin $42,103
  • Room & Board
  • William & Mary $16,182
  • Wisconsin $14,124
  • Average Net Price
  • William & Mary $19,686
  • Wisconsin $14,235
  • Average Grant Aid
  • William & Mary $23,144
  • Wisconsin $17,741
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • William & Mary 43%
  • Wisconsin 35%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • William & Mary 17,798
  • Wisconsin 65,894
  • Admitted
  • William & Mary 6,064
  • Wisconsin 29,782
  • Acceptance Rate
  • William & Mary 34.1%
  • Wisconsin 45.2%
  • Enrolled
  • William & Mary 26.6%
  • Wisconsin 28.6%
  • Typical SAT score
  • William & Mary 1470
  • Wisconsin 1450
  • Typical ACT score
  • William & Mary 33
  • Wisconsin 31
  • Average High School GPA
  • William & Mary 3.85
  • Wisconsin 3.88
  • Typical High School Grades
  • William & Mary A
  • Wisconsin A
  • Admissions Standards
  • William & Mary Exceptional
  • Wisconsin Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • William & Mary High
  • Wisconsin Low
  • ACT Range
  • William & Mary 32/34
  • Wisconsin 29/33
  • SAT Range
  • William & Mary 1400/1530
  • Wisconsin 1380/1520
  • Submit Test Scores
  • William & Mary Test optional
  • Wisconsin Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • William & Mary Jan 2, 2027
  • Wisconsin Jan 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • William & Mary 12:1
  • Wisconsin 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • William & Mary
    • Social Sciences (24%)
    • Business (11%)
    • General Studies (10%)
    • English and Literature (8%)
    • History (7%)
  • Wisconsin
    • Social Sciences (15%)
    • Biology (12%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Engineering (8%)
    • Communication (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • William & Mary 91%
  • Wisconsin 82%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • William & Mary $68,700
  • Wisconsin $64,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • William & Mary 85%
  • Wisconsin 84%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • William & Mary $19,500
  • Wisconsin $22,250
  • Median Loan Payment
  • William & Mary $201
  • Wisconsin $230

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • William & Mary 41%
  • Wisconsin 47%
  • % Women
  • William & Mary 59%
  • Wisconsin 53%
  • Racial Diversity
  • William & Mary High
  • Wisconsin Low
  • HBCU
  • William & Mary No
  • Wisconsin No
  • % White
  • William & Mary 59%
  • Wisconsin 76%
  • % Asian
  • William & Mary 8%
  • Wisconsin 6%
  • % Black
  • William & Mary 7%
  • Wisconsin 2%
  • % Hispanic
  • William & Mary 9%
  • Wisconsin 5%
  • % Native American
  • William & Mary 0%
  • Wisconsin 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • William & Mary 0%
  • Wisconsin 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • William & Mary 4%
  • Wisconsin 3%
  • % International
  • William & Mary 6%
  • Wisconsin 8%
  • % Unknown Race
  • William & Mary 6%
  • Wisconsin 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • William & Mary 59%
  • Wisconsin 45%
  • % Out-of-State
  • William & Mary 37%
  • Wisconsin 46%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • William & Mary Yes
  • Wisconsin Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • William & Mary No
  • Wisconsin No
  • Meal Plan
  • William & Mary Yes
  • Wisconsin Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • William & Mary No
  • Wisconsin No
  • Daycare Facility
  • William & Mary Yes
  • Wisconsin Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA with University of Wisconsin Madison in Madison, WI on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of Wisconsin Madison is larger than William & Mary based on total student enrollment (51,044 students vs. 9,818 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, VA (Large Suburban setting); University of Wisconsin Madison is in Madison, WI (Midsize City setting).
  • William & Mary is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Wisconsin Madison is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: William & Mary 12:1; University of Wisconsin Madison 18:1.

William & Mary vs. Wisconsin Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, William & Mary or Wisconsin? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Wisconsin Madison than William & Mary ($14,235 vs. $19,686).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Wisconsin Madison are 12.7% lower than at William & Mary ($14,124 vs. $16,182).
  • William & Mary is 123.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than Wisconsin (about $14,311 more per year; $25,914.00 vs. $11,603.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 21.2% higher at William & Mary than at University of Wisconsin Madison (about $8,935 more per year; $51,038.00 vs. $42,103.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at William & Mary than at University of Wisconsin Madison (43% vs. 35%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by William & Mary students is 30.5% larger than aid received by University of Wisconsin Madison students ($23,144 vs. $17,741).

William & Mary vs. Wisconsin Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, William & Mary or Wisconsin? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Wisconsin and William & Mary.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at William & Mary (1470) is 20 points higher than at Wisconsin (1450).
  • Incoming William & Mary students have a 2 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (33 vs. 31 at Wisconsin).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: William & Mary 1400/1530; University of Wisconsin Madison 1380/1520.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: William & Mary 32/34; University of Wisconsin Madison 29/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: William & Mary - Test optional; Wisconsin - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: William & Mary Jan 2, 2027; Wisconsin Jan 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman Wisconsin students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.88) than students at William & Mary (3.85).
  • Wisconsin has a higher acceptance rate (45.2%) than William & Mary (34.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 26.6% at William & Mary vs. 28.6% at Wisconsin.

William & Mary vs. Wisconsin Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for William & Mary and Wisconsin? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • William & Mary's six-year graduation rate (91%) is higher than University of Wisconsin Madison's (82%).
  • Graduates from William & Mary earn a median of about $3,900 more per year than Wisconsin graduates about ten years after starting college ($68,700 vs. $64,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, William & Mary graduates have a $2,750 lower median loan debt than Wisconsin graduates ($19,500 vs. $22,250).
  • Among borrowers, William & Mary graduates have an estimated $29 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Wisconsin graduates ($201 vs. $230).
  • More William & Mary graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wisconsin students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 84%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.